Chapter 96

It is said that when Li Er ascended the throne, all the princes and princesses had to prepare gifts to celebrate for him. Some people would doubt, these children, the oldest Li Chengqian is only ten years old, and the youngest are just one or two years old, why do they still need to prepare gifts? What kind of gifts can such young children prepare?

This is actually not about the value of the gifts. At this time, the value of the gifts themselves is not the most important thing. The most important thing is whether the gifts prepared by these princes and princesses can please Li Er. If they meet the new emperor's wishes, then during his reign, their lives will likely be much more comfortable than those of the other princes and princesses. It can even determine whether they will be favored, a small stepping stone. Therefore, countless officials take the opportunity to test who will be capable in the future, thus deciding whom to support. This has almost become an unwritten rule. When Li Yuan initially ascended the throne, Li Er captured three cities in one night as a gift. Now it's his turn to receive gifts.

The banquet began. Unlike previous banquets where each person had their own table and there were rules like not talking during meals and not speaking in bed, which were often ineffective for Li Er's banquets, this one was very open. Not only could they eat, but they could also talk, making the whole scene very lively. Li Er, along with Changsun and several concubines, sat in the main seat, watching the officials and ministers bustling about, constantly observing to see who was close and who was forming groups. These were all things he would have to sort out, and this banquet had such a purpose!

Time passed, and it was almost the hour of Xu, the time for presenting gifts was approaching. Li Kuan and the other little ones were quietly called by the palace maids to wait in a pavilion. The youngest ones were still grabbing various foods and stuffing them into their mouths. Little Nianwei, with her mouth shiny with oil, had clearly been enjoying a feast. She was being held by a maid, waving her little hands and mumbling that she wanted to go back to eat more delicious meat. Her oily little hands left handprints on the maid's embroidered robe, and the maid looked helpless. Everyone else was fine, but only Princess Yuzhang was the most lively and difficult to handle, and this arduous task fell to her. Her sisters all expressed sympathy when they heard the news.

"Alright, Yuzhang, stand still. Go wash up, it's time to give gifts to Father and Mother, be good!" Li Chengqian, acting like an older brother, said to the little one. Since Li Er was named Crown Prince, Li Chengqian had become more confident and acted like an older brother to his siblings, even becoming less hostile towards Li Kuan, which Li Kuan found a bit confusing but seemed to be a good thing.

"Hmph... No way! Big Brother is bad!" The little girl struggled out of the maid's arms and walked towards Li Kuan and Li Lizhi, making a face at Li Chengqian and pouting.

"Vivian, go wash your hands and wipe your mouth. It's time to give Father a gift. What gift did Vivian prepare?" Li Kuan smiled as he saw the little girl running over.

"That's Vivian's secret, I won't tell Second Brother!" The little girl, though young, had learned to keep secrets.

"I don't know either, Second Brother, don't ask!" Li Lizhi said. After learning that she needed to prepare a gift, the little girl had been very mysterious, even her roommate Li Lizhi didn't know what she was up to.

"Really that secretive?" Li Kuan was a bit surprised. For a little girl just over two years old, to be able to keep such a secret from so many people, this gift must be quite special.

"The auspicious time has arrived, all officials, be silent!" The eunuch's sharp voice, like sandpaper on glass, immediately cooled the lively atmosphere. Everyone lined up according to their rank and position, waiting for the main event of the evening.

"His Majesty has ascended the throne, all princes come to pay their respects!" The eunuch spoke again, signaling the start.

As the eldest and Crown Prince, Li Chengqian naturally went first. He held a box, walked out of the pavilion, his handsome little face full of pride. Though only ten years old, he already exuded a noble air. His steps were not large but steady, each step almost the same distance, clearly the result of hard training. The years of study and training showed their worth, and countless officials nodded in approval, this Crown Prince did not disgrace the Emperor. Li Er also looked pleased, his eldest son was very good, his demeanor and bearing were impeccable.

"Your child congratulates Father on ascending the throne, wishing the Tang Dynasty a thousand years of prosperity and Father and Mother a long life!" Li Chengqian's words were somewhat general, but they were proper and included a show of filial piety towards his mother, Changsun, which pleased Li Er and Changsun greatly.

"Good, I accept your blessings. Chengqian, what gift have you prepared for me? Present it!" Li Er stroked his beard, his face beaming with joy as he asked Li Chengqian to present the gift.

"Your child has no other skills, this is a tiger skin that your child and the guards hunted in the city's hunting grounds, presented to Father!" Li Chengqian presented the box and said.

Li Er did not expect Li Chengqian to actually hunt a tiger in the royal hunting grounds. Tigers are not beasts that ordinary people dare to provoke, Li Chengqian's courage was indeed great. Of course, Li Er knew how much effort Li Chengqian had put in, but for his age, the courage to hunt in the mountains was commendable.

"Very good! This tiger skin is in excellent condition, a rare treasure!" Li Er opened the box, took out the tiger skin, which was about two meters long, and after examining it carefully, praised it. "But tigers are too dangerous, do not take such risks in the future!" After praising, Li Er also gave some advice, which Li Chengqian listened to obediently.

Since Li Chengqian prepared a tiger skin, the other brothers' gifts were likely not simple either, especially Li Ke, who was only a few months younger than Li Kuan and not much younger than Li Chengqian. He always compared himself to his older brother, so his gift this time was probably similar. But what did the chubby Qingque prepare? Li Kuan thought to himself after seeing Li Chengqian's gift.

According to the order, it was Li Kuan's turn next, but although he was the second in line, he was not the legitimate son, only a second son. So after Li Chengqian, it was Li Tai, the same order as when they received their fiefs. These two brothers were born to the Empress, so they were naturally more special. Li Kuan did not care, but Li Ke gritted his teeth. His status was not low, so why was he ranked after the pig-like Li Tai? Even at a young age, he knew he carried the blood of two imperial families, making him extremely noble. He was not content and always competed with Li Chengqian, putting in much more effort than the other brothers, excelling in both scholarship and martial arts. Though he was not as skilled in martial arts as the future穿越者 Li Kuan, he was still quite capable for a child under ten.

Li Tai, with his hands empty, 'rolled' out of the pavilion. Though he was already quite fat, this was after taking Sun Simiao's weight loss medicine; otherwise, he would have been a ball. His physique was truly frustrating, and no one knew how to make him lose weight.

Li Tai came to the center of the hall, and due to his obesity, his bow was quite comical, but no one dared to laugh.

"Your child has come to present gifts to Father and Mother! Wishing Father and Mother a long and happy life, and the Tang Dynasty eternal prosperity!" Li Tai also said his congratulations.

"Qingque, what gift have you prepared?" Li Er, though fond of this son despite his weight, asked with a gentle smile.

"Your child has prepared a scroll for Father and Mother!" Li Tai pulled out a scroll from his sleeve. It was not large, and in his already wide sleeves, it was not noticeable, so many officials who thought this fat prince had no gift to offer were surprised.

"Qingque, what did you draw? Bring it here for me to see!" Li Er had some confidence in this fat son's painting. This son did not inherit his martial skills or war talents but had inherited his mother's talent. In recent years, he had gained a reputation for his talent in Chang'an, shining in poetry and literature gatherings. Since he dared to present it here, it must not be a poor work, but the quality was unknown.

Li Er did not let the little fat boy present it, as there was no space for him to squeeze into the main seat. So he walked down and took the scroll from Li Tai, then unfolded it below.

"Very good!" Li Er, skilled in both warfare and calligraphy, had a certain level of expertise in painting. His flying white script had a touch of Cai Yong's style, and the sign and poem at the entrance of the Wine Immortal Inn were his own work, though the poem was plagiarized by Li Kuan, the calligraphy was indeed written by Li Er. Now, the Wine Immortal Inn was famous, with the emperor's own calligraphy, making it unique in Chang'an. Li Kuan had also earned a lot from Li Er's calligraphy. Since calligraphy and painting are closely related, Li Er also had his own insights in painting. Therefore, to receive Li Er's praise, even if the painter was Li Tai, the work must have been of a certain standard.

Li Kuan, in the pavilion, was at least three zhang away from Li Er, and from that distance, he could only vaguely see that the painting seemed to be a landscape, layer upon layer, but he could not make out the details. However, Li Er's happy expression suggested that Li Tai's gift had pleased him.

The officials also stretched their necks to see what the fat prince had painted, which had pleased the emperor so much. But they were even farther away than Li Kuan and could not see clearly, only feeling anxious. (To be continued...)